Josh Daniel, an aspiring singer on The X Factor, almost selected a different song for his audition—a choice that could have changed everything, including the emotional moment that famously moved Simon Cowell to tears.
Josh’s friend Kerrianne Covell, who made it to the judges’ houses on the ITV show in 2014, shared that Josh initially had his sights set on another track. He had planned to sing Kiss Me Quick by Nathan Sykes, but during a rehearsal with Kerrianne and their friend Liv Quantrill, his choice took a surprising turn.
«I don’t think that’s quite the right song,» Liv had said, urging him to consider other options. After some discussion, they landed on Labrinth’s Jealous, though it wasn’t Josh’s top pick. “Jealous was actually his fourth choice,” Kerrianne recalled, adding that Josh was mindful of delivering his own unique interpretation rather than mirroring Labrinth’s original style.
Eventually, after watching him rehearse the song, singing with his whole heart from his knees, Kerrianne and Liv felt the performance was powerful enough to sway him—and it did.
There’s no question about it,” I told him. “If you can touch people’s hearts like that, then this has to be the one,” Kerrianne urged after seeing Josh pour his soul into the song while kneeling on the floor.
A few days before the audition, Josh made the call to confirm he could change his song choice.
On the night of his performance, Josh dedicated Jealous to his late friend, Tom Woolley, who passed away in 2013 at only 18. This personal dedication brought an added layer of emotion to the moment, and viewers saw Simon, who was still grieving the recent loss of his mother, Julie Brett, visibly affected by the performance. Afterward, Simon needed a moment away, leaving Nick Grimshaw and Cheryl uncertain of how to respond in the poignant silence.
